The William E. McLellin papers, 1854-1880 / Stan Larson and Samuel J. Passey, editors ; George D. Smith, foreword.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

McLellin, William E. (William Earl)

Contributor:

Larson, Stan.

Passey, Samuel J., 1979-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

McLellin, William E. (William Earl).

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints--History--19th century.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Latter Day Saint churches--History--19th century.

Latter Day Saint churches.

History.

McLellin, William E. (William Earl)--Correspondence.

McLellin, William E.

Genre:

Correspondence.

Personal correspondence.

Physical Description:

xxx, 607 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City : Signature Books, 2007.

Summary:

The LDS hierarchy was divided in 1837 over the militarization of the church in Missouri. Many in the leadership eventually reconciled, but one of the twelve apostles, William E. McLellin, became what might be termed a friendly critic. He retained his belief in the divinity of the Book of Mormon and kept in contact with his former colleagues in the Quorum of the Twelve but could not support the new policies and directions. He resigned from the quorum in 1836 and was excommunicated in 1838.

Most interesting for readers of the present volume may be McLellin's observations about how the church changed during his separation. McLellin said that in his five years of activity in the church, he never once heard of Joseph Smith's First Vision. Available historical evidence confirms that the First Vision was not known in the church until the 1840s, after McLellin's departure.

McLellin wrote further: "I heard Joseph [Smith] tell his experience of his ordination and the organization of the church probably more than twenty times to persons who, near the rise of the church, wished to know and hear about it. I never heard of Moroni, John [the Baptist], or Peter, James, and John." McLellin believed that angels had visited Joseph Smith but not that human beings could become angels-a teaching not yet current in the 1830s-or that priesthood authority could be conveyed in that way.

In addition, McLellin wrote of his disappointment in attending the Kirtland, Ohio, temple dedication in 1836 and not seeing angels, as he had hoped. The narrative regarding the appearance of Elijah and others in the temple would not be publicized until 1852. So in many ways, it was a much different church in the 1830s. McLellin illuminates what it meant to be LDS when the emphasis was on Christ's imminent return to earth; the gathering to Independence, Missouri; revelation through seer stones; and gifts of the Spirit-healings and speaking in tongues-all of which McLellin continued to promote as beliefs of a true follower of Christ in the last days.

Contents:

Essays

1 Mormonism's "Stormy Petrel," / Richard P. Howard 3

2 Discovery of the McLellin Papers / Dawn House 29

3 The Past as Decline from a Golden Age / Thomas G. Alexander 49

4 My Eyes Were Holden in Those Days / D. Michael Quinn 59

5 Reinventing McLellin / John-Charles Duffy 83

6 Portrait of a "True Believer" in Original Mormonism / William D. Russell 105

Notebooks

1 A Treatise on Faith, 1854-57 139

2 On the Testimony of Book of Mormon Witnesses, 1871 253

3 The Blood of Adam and of Christ, 1877 257

4 Views on the Bible, 1877 295

5 Why I Am Not a Latter Day Saint, 1878 323

6 On Original Sin, 1878 333

7 Reasons Why I Am Not a "Mormon," ca. 1880 379

Letters 1854-1880

1 To Orson Pratt, 29 Apr. 1854 433

2 To Joseph Smith III, 10 Jan. 1861 440

3 To Granville Hedrick, ca. 1864 445

4 Letter fragment, ca. May 1869 448

5 To Dear Friends, 12 July 1869 450

6 To Davis H. Bays, 23 Nov. 1869 454

7 To Dear Friends, Feb. 1870 456

8 To Davis H. Bays, 24 May 1870 458

9 To Old Friends, 21-25 Oct. 1870 464

10 To Mark H. Forscutt, 1 Oct. 1871 468

11 To Old Friends, 22 Feb. 1872 481

12 To Joseph Smith III, July 1872 483

13 To Dear Mary, 30 Aug. 1872 496

14 To John L. Traughber, 11 Mar. 1875 500

15 To John L. Traughber, 6 Dec. 1875 501

16 To John L. Traughber, 19 Feb. 1877 503

17 To John L. Traughber, 7 May 1877 504

18 To John L. Traughber, 22 June 1877 505

19 To John L. Traughber, July 1877 507

20 To John L. Traughber, 25 Aug. 1877 508

21 To Thomas Fuller, 1877 509

22 To John L. Traughber, 14 Dec. 1878 510

23 To John L. Traughber, 5 Jan. 1879 516

24 To John L. Traughber, 1 Oct. 1879 518

25 To unidentified recipient, ca. 1878-79 520

26 To James T. Cobb, 14 Aug. 1880 521

A McLellin's Published Articles and Letters, 1832-49 527

B McLellin's "Ruins of Central America and Yucatan" 531

D From the Illinois Patriot, 1831 567.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 571-593) and index.

ISBN:

9781560851448

1560851449

OCLC:

123539410